Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday issued a clarification of her contentious “Mrityu Kumbh” remark, asserting that she had never disrespected any religion and lies were being peddled to show that she had insulted the faithful.
Even in her clarificatory statement, however, the Bengal chief minister stood her ground on the allegations of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh of having spectacularly failed in handling the festival and allied logistics.
“I will not comment on those who were at the Mahakumbh for the holy dip, as I respect them. I had not said one word on the Kumbh Snan (the holy dip there). Where people go, where they take the holy dip, what they eat, or whatever else they do, that is their personal matter… people will act according to their faith,” said Mamata during a media interaction at Nabanna, the state secretariat, after a cabinet meeting.
“…. We had asked for introspection of the planning (whether it was adequate). Many people have distorted this and said many things that are ill. I tell them, whatever you have said is a lie. I have never disrespected any religion in my life and I won’t ever do so. We respect all religions,” she added, clearly in response to the controversy triggered by her February 18 “Mrityu Kumbh” remark in the Bengal Assembly.
The saffron ecosystem chose to interpret it as an insult to not only the festival but also the religion associated with it.
She drew parallels with wedding arrangements and said if 400 people were being invited, adequate arrangements for 500 should have been in place.
“That is the family system… religion is also like a festival. Understanding the capacity and how it can be utilised or how many people can go (need to be considered),” said the Trinamool Congress chief, who has been directly accusing the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh of suppressing the real extent of the Mahakumbh stampede last month, repeatedly alleging that thousands of lives might have been lost then, instead of the 30-odd that is the official claim.
“Our Jagannath Dham construction is also on track (in East Midnapore). I invite everyone to visit. But I don’t want to create hype around it. I will work within my capacity and will not raise any hype going beyond my capacity,” she added.
“Just because they are controlling the media does not mean only a one-sided (narrative will be propagated). So many people have died,” said the chief minister, wondering if the claim that the holy dip was a once-in-144-years opportunity was indeed authentic, asking experts to enlighten her — in the context of the hype generated around the Mahakumbh this time.
She went on to prod Adityanath to immediately release compensation to the victims or their next of kin.
Citing examples of her own government’s alacrity during all major festivals that draw vast crowds in Bengal — from Gangasagar Mela to Durga Puja — she said accidents or unfortunate incidents could take place at any time, but if it was because of somebody’s fault, and there was no corrective planning or steps thereafter, it was the people who ended up suffering.
“This is why I am raising a demand with the Uttar Pradesh government — irrespective of how much Yogi saheb abuses me, which will not singe me in anyway — those families who have faced so much trouble and weren’t even handed death certificates or autopsy reports… should get immediate compensation since the UP government had announced it,” she said, adding that the kin of those who died in road or train accidents while on their way to or from the Mahakumbh should also receive compensation.
